Before coming to Another Chance House, Robert’s life nearly ended, literally. “I experienced the deepest darkness; I know God saved me that night. There’s no other explanation for my being alive. I was alone and isolated. I had overdosed. The cop who saved me was a guy I’d gone to high school with – there’s no way he found me without divine intervention.”
A native of New Jersey, Robert’s struggle with drugs began as a teenager. He enlisted in the Army at age 20 and was deployed once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. In 2013 Robert was selected to train for the Special Forces; a huge accomplishment that was undermined by his addictive behaviors. “I lost that opportunity. I was devastated. My life became a cycle of being built up only to be torn down again.” Robert spiraled for the next six years, homeless and without direction until that fateful night when he was spared from overdosing. That night he met his higher power and he started to live again.
In 2015 Robert entered the structured living program at Another Chance House for the first time. He established relationships that would help him in his journey to self-sufficiency and found some success with programs offered by the Veterans Administration. But Amarillo wasn’t home, and he eventually returned to NJ. This wasn’t a move that would serve him well; Robert relapsed while in NJ. He made the decision to leave the familiar permanently and made his way back to Amarillo.
In 2019, Robert returned to Another Chance House. He’s taking advantage of all of the resources offered him by donors who care about our nation’s veterans: rides to the VA Intense Outpatient Program (IOP), on-campus recovery meetings, healthy meals, case management, and giving back to the community through volunteer service.
“After leaving the Army I was stuck in my addiction and I couldn’t connect with others. I was alone for six years. Living at Another Chance House relieved the anxiety of being alone.”
